Scaffold structure

ABSTRACT

A scaffold structure comprising a ladder like scaffold part having two vertical string members and a plurality of horizontal rungs, support legs to retain one end on the ground and space the structure from a wall or building in relation to which it is in use and a platform movable up and down the scaffold part and with hooks to engage the scaffold part and retain the platform at any desired level.

United States Patent [191 Nyman 1 Sept. 25, 1973 1 SCAFFOLD STRUCTURE[76] Inventor: Curt Lennart Nyman, Billdalsgatan 24, Boras, Sweden 22Filed: Nov. 13,1970

21 Appl. No.: 89,344

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 17, 1970 Germany G 69 44598.3

[52] 11.5. C1. 182/l03,'182/113 [51] Int. Cl. E06c 7/16 [58] Field ofSearch 182/120, 121, 122,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,006 11/1906 Spaull eta1. 182/103 2,198,071 4/1940 Artini 182/103 2,425,302 8/1947 Calhoun182/101 2,245,661 6/1941 Fieroh 182/122 1,307,468 6/1919 Wells 182/135788,992 4/1905 Bauer 182/103 Primary Examiner--Reinaldo P. MachadoAttorney-Robert E. Burns and Emmanuel J. Lobato [5 7] ABSTRACT Ascaffold structure comprising a ladder like scaffold part having twovertical string members and a plurality of horizontal rungs, supportlegs to retain one end on the ground and space the structure from a wallor building in relation to which it is in use and a platform movable upand down the scaffold part and with hooks to engage the scaffold partand retain the platform at any desired level.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures SCAFFOLD STRUCTURE The present inventionrelates to a scaffold structure.

Known scaffold structures for use in exterior work, such as painting orpointing have various disadvantages. Securing of these scaffoldstructures against tilting and other stresses which occur affords greatdifficulties, which have hitherto not been overcome satisfactorily.Furthermore, an uncomplicated anchorage of the platform has hitherto notbeen provided. Also, in the case of the aforesaid scaffoldings thevertical adjustment of the platform presents the greatest difficulties,which can hitherto be considered as being by no means solved.

An object of the invention is to obviate the defects mentioned above andto provide a reliable and simple scaffold structure having an equallyreliable, simple and easily vertically adjustable platform.

In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by providing ascaffold structure having a vertically adjustable platform, moreespecially for the external work on buildings, comprising a ladderlikescaffolding part adapted to be erected in a vertical orientation and aplatform having means for locking said platform in various verticalpositions on the inside of the scaffolding part, characterised in thatstruts of the scaffolding part are provided for the engagement withrollers, from which the platform is suspended by means of a framework inthat the scaffolding part serves as a ladder for climbing and descent bya person and the entire platform can in this connection be drawn up bymeans of a strap or the like fastened to the person and in that theplatform can be locked in different vertical positions by means ofhooks, which co-operate with the scaffolding part.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the lower part of a scaffolding inaccordance with the invention, with a platform fixed in the lowerinitial position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper part of a scaffolding inaccordance with the invention, with a supporting device; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal view of a part of the fastening device for thesupporting device in accordance with FIG. 2.

As seen in the drawings, a ladder assembly 1 having vertical supportmembers or struts 2 and horizontal rungs 3 connecting the struts isshown in its working position. This ladder assembly 1 is preferably madefrom light metal, and the rungs consist of square tubes having an outercorrugated profile as a precaution against slipping and the strutsconsist of I-sectioned beams. The edges of the flanges of the latter arebent towards one another with their free edges preferably in the form ofshort webs 4, as is shown in FIG. 3, in order to serve as holding andguide members and the outboard webs 4 define a guideway in which aroller 21 may roll along the support members 2. Furthermore, in thisway, greater stiffness of the struts against bending is achieved.

The ladder assembly l is braced on two legs 5 which are respectivelyfastened to the outside of the lower part of a strut end. The legs 5each consist preferably of two metal tubes 6 which diverge towards thestruts and which are securely welded with their ends on for example,flat iron bars 7 and 8. The two fastening bars 8 on the strut sideengage strut crosspieces 9 and are provided with bores (not shown) forthe reception of fastening 10. These extend through an outwardly exposedrung aperture 11 and thus connect both fastening bars 8 simultaneouslyto the, scaffolding part 1. The legs project sideways and preferably arealso turned away somewhat from the building in relation to which thescaffolding structure is being used. At the lower ends of the legsrunning wheels (not shown) in a parallel plane to the ladder assembly 1can be arranged. F urthermore, this lower scaffolding region can beprovided with a known securing device.

In the upper region of the ladder assembly 1, a supporting device isfastened as seen in FIG. 2. This comprises a horizontal rod 12, which isheld, on the side averted from the said contact surface, on the ladderassembly l by means of a screw-and-nut connection 13. For this, ahorizontal bar 15 provided with ribs 14 can embrace the inner strut legs4, as shown, and can be clamped to these by the connection 13 as well asby means of a round bar or the like 17 introduced into a groove 16provided in the bar 15. The round bar can also be used as a frictionbody designed differently as desired and if necessary be welded with thebar. From the rod 12, two distance rods 18 diverge towards the buildingand are stabilised by a strut 19. The parts 12, 18 and 19 are designedas square cross-section tubes.

Fastened internally, (i.e., turned to the building) to the ladderassembly 1 is a vertically adjustable assembly 20. The assemblypossesses, a pair of rollers 21 slidable along each strut 2 and therollers are spaced from one another and are preferably guided betweenthe outer legs 4 turned to one another and which can be connectedtogether by a flat connecting bar 22. From the lower rollers 21, flatbars 23 lead downwards, inclined somewhat inwardly, where they mergeinto a horizontal base portion 24 from the internal corners of whichflat connecting bars 25 lead preferably in a straight line as far as theheight level of the upper rollers 21, towards which connection a pieces26 leads. The two inside flat connecting bars 25 are connected togetherby one or more arcuate connecting rods or yokes 27, which extend towardsthe contact surface and have for example eyes 28 as suspension membersfor working tools. Furthermore, the arcuate connecting rod is pivotallymounted at one end by means of a hinge 29 in order to ensure conveniententering and leaving to an from the platform 20 whereas the other end isreleasably attached to the associated flat bars 25.

For the purposes of vertical adjustment and positions of expecting theplatform assembly, a horizontal shaft 30 extends between the transitionregions of the parts 25 and 26. Pivotally mounted on the shaft 30 aretwo locking members comprising hooks 31 which are spaced one from theother. In a preferred embodiment,

The mode of operation of the scaffolding structure in accordance withthe invention is as follows:-

A start is made from a position in accordance with FIG. 1. If, forexample, a painter wishes to work at a higher vertical position from theplatform assembly then he boards the platform assembly by opening andclosing the yoke or connecting rod 27. He then turns himself to face theladder assembly 1 and passes the strap member 35 around the back of hisneck. He then climbs on the rungs 3 and can carry the light platformassembly upwardly, suspended from his shoulders in which connection,through the pulling action of the strap member 35 the claws 32 arereleased from the respective rung.

When the desired position in a vertical sense is reached, then the clawsare hooked over the nearest rung and the strap member is taken off,whereupon work can begin.

In order to achieve a particularly advantageous hooking in the desiredposition in a vertical sense, in accordance with a preferred embodiment,the rod 34 is arranged in such a vertical position in relation to thebase portion 24 and is designed in such a way, for example bent that therod can be swung from the breast region of the respective person towardsthe ladder assembly, so that the platform assembly can be hooked fast inthis way by means of the claws. Thus both hands and both feet are at alltimes free for other tasks.

The specific embodiments described above and shown in the drawings canbe modified at will within the spirit and scope of the inventive idea.Thus, the hooks can also be arranged sideways and if necessary beconnected together by a draw spring, in order to be arrested in or onthe rungs or in the strut outer sides. In this connection, thehooks canengage and disengage automatically. The rollers can of course also beguided in someother way on the struts.

I claim:-

I. A scaffold structure comprising: a ladder assembly having a pair ofjuxtaposed and spaced-apart elongated support members, a plurality ofrungs interconnecting said support members at a plurality oflongitudinally spaced-apart locations, and means connected to saidsupport member for maintaining said ladder assembly in a substantiallyvertical orientation during use wherein said support members extend in agenerally vertical direction; and a vertically positionable plat formassembly movably connected to said ladder assembly for vertical movementtherealong and defining therewith a scaffold structure comprising a baseportion extending outwardly from said support members and dimensioned toaccommodate thereon a standing person when said ladder assembly isvertically oreintated, means movably connecting said platform assemblyto said ladder assembly for movement therealong comprising means on saidsupport members defining 3.

guideway longitudinally extending along the outboard side of eachsupport member, a pair of support bars each disposed on the outboardside of respective ones of said support members, a plurality ofconnecting bars interconnecting said base portion to said support bars,and means mounting said support bars for reciprocal movement alongrespective ones of said guideways to effect movement of said platformassembly along said ladder assembly, locking means connected to saidplatform assembly and coacting with said rungs for releasably lockingsaid platform assembly in a predetermined working position along saidladder assembly and comprising a pair of locking members and meansincluding a connecting rod interconnecting said pair of locking membersmounting same for both manual pivotal movement together as an integralunit towards said ladder assembly to releasably engage with a common oneof said rungs to lock said platform assembly in said working positionand manual pivotal movement away from said ladder assembly to disengagesaid locking members from said common rung to thereby permit movement ofsaid platform assembly along said support members, and means engageablewith a person ascending or descending said ladder assembly for effectingcorresponding vertical ascending or descending movement of said platformassembly along said support 2. A scaffold structure according to claim1; wherein said strap member has two end portions respectively connectedto and suspended between said pair of locking members.

3. A scaffold structure according to claim 1, wherein said means movablyconnecting said platform assembly to said ladder assembly includes apair of rollers rotatably mounted on each support bar at longitudinallyspaced-apart locations and rollable along said guideways for effectingmovement of said support bars along their associated support members.

4. A scaffold structure according to claim 3; wherein said supportmembers each have an I-shaped crosssection having a web portion and twoflange portions and wherein the edge portions of said two flangeportions define said guideway.

5. A scaffold structure according to claim 3; wherein said platformassembly includes an arcuate connecting rod pivotally mounted at one endto one connecting bar connected to one of said support bars and havingmeans at the other end for releasably attaching to another connectingbar connected to the other of said support bars, said arcuate connectingrod extending outwardly from said ladder assembly in the direction ofsaid base portion; whereby said connecting rod may be pivoted away fromsaid ladder assembly to permit a person to walk onto said base portionof said platform assembly.

i i 0 1k

1. A scaffold structure comprising: a ladder assembly having a pair ofjuxtaposed and spaced-apart elongated support members, a plurality ofrungs interconnecting said support members at a plurality oflongitudinally spaced-apart locations, and means connected to saidsupport member for maintaining said ladder assembly in a substantiallyvertical orientation during use wherein said support members extend in agenerally vertical direction; and a vertically positionable platformassembly movably connected to said ladder assembly for vertical movementtherealong and defining therewith a scaffold structure comprising a baseportion extending outwardly from said support members and dimensioned toaccommodate thereon a standing person when said ladder assembly isvertically oreintated, means movably connecting said platform assemblyto said ladder assembly for movement therealong comprising means on saidsupport members defining a guideway longitudinally extending along theoutboard side of each support member, a pair of support bars eachdisposed on the outboard side of respective ones of said supportmembers, a plurality of connecting bars interconnecting said baseportion to said support bars, and means mounting said support bars forreciprocal movement along respective ones of said guideways to effectmovement of said platform assembly along said ladder assembly, lockingmeans connected to said platform assembly and coacting with said rungsfor releasably locking said platform assembly in a predetermined workingposition along said ladder assembly and comprising a pair of lockingmembers and means including a connecting rod interconnecting said pairof locking members mounting same for both manual pivotal movementtogether as an integral unit towards said ladder assembly to releasablyengage with a common one of said rungs to lock said platform assembly insaid working position and manual pivotal movement away from said ladderassembly to disengage said locking members from said common rung tothereby permit movement of said platform assembly along said supportmembers, and means engageable with a person ascending or descending saidladder assembly for effecting corresponding vertical ascending ordescending movement of said platform assembly along said support
 2. Ascaffold structure aCcording to claim 1; wherein said strap member hastwo end portions respectively connected to and suspended between saidpair of locking members.
 3. A scaffold structure according to claim 1,wherein said means movably connecting said platform assembly to saidladder assembly includes a pair of rollers rotatably mounted on eachsupport bar at longitudinally spaced-apart locations and rollable alongsaid guideways for effecting movement of said support bars along theirassociated support members.
 4. A scaffold structure according to claim3; wherein said support members each have an I-shaped cross-sectionhaving a web portion and two flange portions and wherein the edgeportions of said two flange portions define said guideway.
 5. A scaffoldstructure according to claim 3; wherein said platform assembly includesan arcuate connecting rod pivotally mounted at one end to one connectingbar connected to one of said support bars and having means at the otherend for releasably attaching to another connecting bar connected to theother of said support bars, said arcuate connecting rod extendingoutwardly from said ladder assembly in the direction of said baseportion; whereby said connecting rod may be pivoted away from saidladder assembly to permit a person to walk onto said base portion ofsaid platform assembly.